Figures may be used to give different impressions. Numbers may also be misleading and worse still used to shift attention from more serious national issues of which unfortunately, presently, we have more than a handful. I will not go into those but focus on the recent publication of the report by John Dalli.    

The most striking figures in the report are the following:-  

Ø     €230 million yearly running costs

Ø     €105 million yearly salaries

Ø     €37 million overtime and allowances

Ø     €3.07 million time off in lieu and leave not availed off   

Ø     3,920 employees

Ø     580 shifts patterns

These are some of the figures which hit the airwaves and printed media lately and are still largely being peddled around.  At the time of writing, all local media houses and many columnists made reference to the report which was prepared and presented last Saturday by John Dalli. Mr Dalli held various senior ministerial posts during the PN legislatures, including minister for finance for many years.  Mr Dalli later was also appointed EU commissioner before he tendered his resignation and since has been under investigation.

The report "Mater Dei Hospital: A Better Social Return" was prepared for the PL Health Ministry and identified areas, which in the authors’ opinion, needed attention if not immediate correction. Surprisingly, however, in his immediate reaction Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia distanced himself and added that his Ministry is in the process of preparing two other reports with the aim to take a holistic approach of our health care system.  The two other commissioned reports are Health in Transition Systems Report, intended to give a clear image of the health system and a National Health Systems report - a strategy for 2015 to 2020.

Without shadow of doubt the commissioning of reports, impact assessments and socio-economic analysis are essential to make additional quality leaps forward in our health care. The commissioning of these reports should somehow merge with the health PL roadmap which was promised, unless the roadmap was a make-believe electoral promise to catch votes only.  Possibly that is why more people are becoming very doubtful when and if the findings of these commissioned reports would ever be implemented. It is becoming very clear the present administration have found a new escape route in avoiding political flak.  The commissioning of reports and the issuing of “white papers” will do the trick and use them as smoke screens to more pressing issues shifting political pressure onto reports and “white papers” writers. 

The publication of the “white paper” presented by Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia entitled "Ensuring your rights to entitlement medicines at the time you require them" some days before the one presented by Mr Dalli, is a point in case.  Dr Farrugia claimed that out of stock medicines was not acceptable but as yet patients, including vulnerable patients are still faced with repeated “Sorry” - “Out of Stock” replies from pharmacists.

The publication of the white paper gave no solutions and one can easily come to the conclusion that the publication of the white paper was deliberately planned to further extend the period during which people will continue to fork out money from their pockets to obtain their much needed medicines. 

From the general public perspective the streamlining of ICT, the procurement changes and the storage spaces for medicines are all administration duties and the input from the general public can be limited.  It is the sole responsibility of the administration to take charge of these issues and move forward.   People’s concern is the recurring out-of-stock medicines which have now reached an alarming stage. In this light the PL promise to deliver medicines to patients at their homes may well be wishful thinking.

Like in all other organisations public or private owned, bottom line or service driven there is always room for improvement.  Mater Dei Hospital is no exception.  No doubt the need for further improvements remains a constant variable and it would be wrong not to challenge work practices and other work related systems from time to time but these changes could only come about through negotiations and collective bargaining. Confident that the author of the report is not encouraging the current Health Minister to lead a head-on collision with the trade unions although noticeably his body language at the press conference was not in sync with his verbal expressions. 

While on the subject, I could not agree more with the statement that professional management in the health care should be allowed to run the place without political interference and I would add that management should not be subjected to the whims of Father Christmas - Ministry of Finance for approval or otherwise to finance approved new projects.  Management should be held accountable for the administration of the whole operation, actions, financial projections and yearly budgets in line with Government policy.       

On the other hand the alleged cases of thefts or fraud should have been referred to the competent authorities for further investigations. Such cases, if any, should have been dealt with discreetly but it seems it was more important to shame and cast bad light on others than anything else. This is rather strange coming from a seasoned politician.      

I have always argued in favour of value for money collective bargaining approach rather than the straight jacket approach which have over a span of time disincentives various categories of workers which hold various key positions in the health care profession running Mater Dei Hospital.

The report made references also to lack of management structures and trade unions interference and were indicated as protuberances which needed attention to further improve the quality of our health care systems. This I have heard many times.  After I have fulfilled a long spell in trade unionism I had the privilege to work for a short period of time with former Health Minister Dr Joseph Cassar as his industrial relations advisor.  During that period I had the opportunity to sit on the other side of the table and counsel on meaningful social dialogue results oriented.  I am certain Mr Dalli with whom I had the opportunity to negotiate and conclude various collective agreements is well versed with the rigid financial Government regulations.       

Figures and numbers should not be allowed or used to cloud a picture or leave an impression which may not reflect the current state of affairs. The quality of service should be scrutinised with the aim to be further improved. Our health care professionals and health care employees should not be subjected to any form of scrutiny which goes beyond the normal employer/employee relationship.      

It is not the yearly creeping higher wages/salaries which our health care professionals and health carers have acquired through collective bargaining which should be of concern to the present administration but the quality of service which patients are and should continue to receive in future which should be monitored and measured regularly.

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